Mark Lodge Obituary, Death – Lodge, Mark Robert, age 70, of Coon Rapids, Minnesota, passed away on April 11 owing to complications associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). He was surrounded by his family at the time of his death. Mark Lodge was born on October 17, 1952, in St. Paul, Minnesota, to Robert and June Lodge. During his childhood, Mark was a proud Johnson High School Governor and established a strong enthusiasm for sports at an early age, both of which would define the remainder of his life. Mark spent 36 years as a teacher at St. Francis ISD #15, where he mostly focused on history and geography.
In addition to coaching for the Coon Rapids Little League and traveling baseball, he was a coach for the boys’ high school hockey team. Over a period of more than 40 years, he served as a referee for the Minnesota State High School League in the sports of ice hockey, football, softball, and volleyball. It was a source of great pride for him to have refereed more than 6,000 hockey games during the course of his career. Up until he was 65 years old, he participated in a recreational league of ice hockey with his buddies. Throughout his entire life, he maintained a profound passion for historical research. He devoted a significant portion of his life to the pursuit of collecting and restoring vintage outboard motors, and he was also an active member of the National Antique Outboard Motor Club for many years.
Recently, he put a lot of effort into a project that was documenting the history of hockey at Johnson High School. In addition to that, he served on the reunion committee for the class of 1970 from Johnson High School. His peers in the officiating community as well as the athletes he mentored referred to him as a buddy, a leader, and a “class act.” His wife of 37 years, Tina, as well as his children Matthew, Bjorn, Hans (Casey), and Maren Price (Perry), as well as his granddaughter Sylvia, as well as his siblings Judy, Gary, and Bobby, will miss Mark very much. On Monday, May 22nd, from 5:00 to 8:00 pm, we will be conducting a celebration of life in memory of Mark. The event will take place at the Bunker Hills Activities Center, which is located at 550 Bunker Lake Blvd NW, Andover, Minnesota 55304. We would like to extend an invitation to everybody who knew Mark to join us as we commemorate a good man and the amazing legacy he left behind.